Ejae — the Korean American singer-songwriter who composed and performed “Golden”, the breakout theme song from Netflix’s global animated hit KPop Demon Hunters — has expressed her wish to collaborate with BTS and Blackpink’s Rosé as she officially begins her activities in Korea.
Appearing on KBS Cool FM’s “Lee Eun-ji’s Gayo Plaza” on Monday, Ejae shared her excitement about returning to Korea, saying, “I lived here for about 15 to 16 years, so this feels like home to me.”
Before gaining worldwide fame through KPop Demon Hunters, Ejae honed her craft as a composer for major K-pop acts including aespa and Red Velvet. She cited Red Velvet’s “Psycho” as her most cherished work, recalling, “That was my first SM songwriting camp song. I wrote it while I was having a hard time after a fight with my long-distance boyfriend — but we made up later,” she said with a laugh.
The success of “Golden” — which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight nonconsecutive weeks — marks a high point in Ejae’s journey from a long-time K-pop trainee to a global hitmaker. “Being a trainee for over ten years taught me a lot about hard work,” she said. “When I finished recording the demo for ‘Golden,’ I actually cried. It meant so much to me.”
When asked about dream collaborations, Ejae didn’t hesitate. “I really love Rosé — she sings and writes so well. I also want to keep working with aespa, and hopefully one day with BTS,” she said.
Looking ahead, Ejae hinted at even greater ambitions — including Hollywood recognition. “It’s time to say goodbye for now — but I’ll be back with a Grammy,” she said with a smile, adding that her ultimate dream is to bring a K-pop soundtrack to the Academy Awards stage.
She also shared that she would love to contribute again if KPop Demon Hunters gets a sequel. Ejae’s first solo single is set for release on October 24, marking the official start of her full-fledged career as a singer as well as a composer.
by Byung-yeon Yoo
yooby@hankyung.com
